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Heritage Trails Park District administrative assistant Terry McDonald, center, engages in conversation while on a guided tour of the 70-acre E.J. Mackenbach Nature Preserve on Friday afternoon.
ST. MARYS - Heritage Trails Park District officials on Friday afternoon held a grand opening of the 70-acre E.J. Mackenbach Nature Preserve located at 14579 County Road 66A, less than a mile from the St. Marys High School/Middle School in Noble Township.
Numerous dignitaries and members of public joined HTPD officials Friday not only to celebrate the nature preserve's opening but to acknowledge the individuals and entities responsible for the property acquisition and site improvements.
"This is a big day for us, the park district. This is our 30th year, and this is quite a milestone opening up this park. We've done a lot," said HTPD Commissioner David Stilwell. "You can see what we've been able to accomplish here at this park in the way of donations, grants and getting things off the ground and rolling. And a big thank you on behalf of the park district goes to the voters of Auglaize County. If it wasn't for them, we couldn't do this."
HTDP receives funding through a voter-approved 0.5-mills levy for park development and operation.
The visually stunning nature preserve consists of 34 acres of diverse mature-growth forest and 36 agricultural acres which have been restored to pollinator habitat and natural wetlands.
Boasting more than three miles of marked trails that cumulatively take about an hour to traverse, the nature preserve offers recreational opportunities in addition to wildlife habitat and water quality protection and natural education possibilities, HTPD officials noted.
It also connects to the adjacent Dr. Elizabeth Yahl Kuffner Nature Preserve and is bordered to the west by the Miami and Erie Canal with the Buckeye Trail and North Country National Trail.
"Today we're not just cutting a ribbon and creating a photo opportunity, we are opening a literal and figurative path to preservation, improvement of physical and mental well-being, along with the spirit of community and connectivity with the natural world," said Auglaize County Commissioner Doug Spencer.
The nature preserve, Spence proclaimed, is a gift to Auglaize County and beyond.
"There will be people from outside the county and outside the state who hear about this and utilize it," he continued. "But this is also a promise to those who did, do and will call Auglaize County home. In a fast-paced, connected world, we need places like this. We need spaces where we can unplug, slow down and listen to the wind through trees, connect the way we're intended to connect."
The visually stunning E.J. Mackenbach nature preserve consists of 34 acres of diverse mature-growth forest and 36 agricultural acres which have been restored to pollinator habitat and natural wetlands. The nature preserve contains five wetland areas.
The Western Reserve Land Conservancy purchased the property for $1.25 million. With assistance from WRLC, HTPD was awarded two grants to cover the expense - a $933,164 Clean Ohio Conservation Fund grant and a $342,975 U.S. Forest Service Community forest grant.
Following appraisals, surveys and closing, WRLC donated the property to HTPD, according to handout provided at the grand opening ceremony.
WRLC Southeast Field Director Jacob Pries took a moment to address the crowd on Friday afternoon.
"When we first started working on this was shortly after the pandemic and the land conservancy kind of took a look at how we could expand our impact. One of those was finding some property outside of our traditional service area in northeast Ohio," Pries said. "The amazing part is that at one point this was just a listing on a computer screen, and today we're all standing here on a beautiful parking lot, beautiful trails that were done by Heritage Trails Park District, and really, that vision has come to life."
E.J. Mackenbach Nature Preserve happens to be the only community forest project funded through the U.S. Forest Service in the State of Ohio, Pries emphasized.
"This was the first and only project to get that funding and just speaks to how special this set of woods is and how special this property is on a national scale," he said.
Pries said one of the things he loves most about the project is the impact it will have on many.
"We have a state, national, regional trail system here where that viewshed will now be preserved here as people recreate," he said. "So it's not just an amenity for this community for St. Marys, it's an amenity for the entire region, and to be able to bring publicly accessible space to folks in this community is such a huge thing, and you have a wonderful park district that is gaining momentum. It's gaining momentum because the voters have decided that that's something they want to see."
The visually stunning E.J. Mackenbach nature preserve consists of 34 acres of diverse mature-growth forest and 36 agricultural acres which have been restored to pollinator habitat and natural wetlands. The nature preserve contains five wetland areas.
Before being unveiled to the public, the E.J. Mackenbach Nature Preserve underwent nearly $700,000 worth of improvements over the course of two years. HTPD was able to restore pollinator habitats and nature wetlands thanks to a $225,500 Great Lakes Restoration Incentive Great Lakes Restoration Initiative program grant.
"Mad Scientist (Associates) did a fantastic job putting together this restoration and really bringing this to fruition, and to think that at one time this was all agricultural fields and then to look at it now and see the water on this landscape is truly a testament to their work, it's a testament to the vision here at the park and the park district to make this a reality," Pries said.
Through other funding sources, including an Ohio Department of Transportation grant, the Diane Komminsk Trust Fund, Community Forest Grant and HTPD's budget, HTPD was able to install a paved access drive and 40-space parking lot, permanent restroom, forest trail walking bridge, solar entry gate, stone culverts with geoweb, stone trail, geoweb for trail, signs and other amenities.
"I want to deeply commend the leadership and vision of Heritage Trails Park District," said St. Marys manager of industrial and community development Mike Burkholder. "It takes a special kind of leadership to look at an undeveloped piece of land and not just see trees and trails but to see the immense potential of what could become for future generations. Your foresight, dedication and tireless planning have turned the potential into the breathtaking reality we see here today."
HTPD executive director PJ Fought said the land once was an old homestead owned by Edgar Jospeh Mackenbach, who lived from 1907-1989. Mackenbach served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and owned an insurance company in St. Marys for 60 years.
"The property has been in the Mackenbach family for more than five generations, and although Edgar and his wife didn't live here, they walked the property, they enjoyed the property, they checked on it and they really cared about preserving the property," Fought said.
His memory will remain connected to this special place, Fought said.
"So today this land becomes a place where the community can build its own memories, and it helps preserve the history and the legacy of the Mackenbach family not only for today, but for future generations to come," he said. "Today is exciting for Heritage Trails and for Auglaize County and for everybody who believes in the importance of protecting our natural areas."
